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LiteraryDevicesLiteraryElements,TechniquesandTermsLiteraryDevicesandTerms•Aliterarydeviseisanytoolusedinliteraturetohelpthereaderunderstandthestoryanditscharacter(s).•Therearetwotypesofliterarydevisesusedbyauthors,literaryelementsandliterarytechniques.•Literarytermsprovidestructuretotheliterature.Allliteraryelementsareevidentinallliteraturethatcreatesastory.•Literarytechniquesarespecifictoeachauthor.Authorschoosewhichofthetechniquestoemploy.•Literarytermsarenotdevices.Theyaresimplytermsusedtounderstandliterature.LiteraryElements•Pointofview•Setting•Character/Characterization•Theme•Plot•ConflictLiteraryelementsarecommonliterarydevicesfoundinallliterature.PointofView•Pointofviewisthevantagepointfromwhichastoryistold.FirstPerson:Thenarratorisacharacter,oftenthemaincharacter,ofthestory.Thischaracterrevealspersonalthoughtsandfeelingsbutisunabletotellthefeelingsofothersunlessheorsheistoldbyanothercharacter.Thefirstpersonnarratorreferstohimorherselfas“I.”ThirdPersonObjective:Thenarratorisanoutsider,notacharacter.Thethirdpersonobjectivereportswhatishappening(seenandheard),butcannottellthereaderwhatcharactersarethinking.ThirdPersonLimited:Thenarratorisanoutsider,notacharacter.Thethirdpersonobjectivereportswhatishappeningaswellasthethoughtsofonespecificcharacter.Omniscient:Thisistheall-knowingnarrator.Theomniscientpointofviewseeseverythingandhearseverything,andisabletoseeintothemindsofmultiplecharacters.Setting•Settinggenerallyprovidesthetimeandplaceofaspecificsceneorchapter,theentirestory,aplayoranarrativepoem.•Settingcanalsoincludethemoodofthetimeperiod,situationorevent.•Settingcanalsobethesocial,political,environmentaloremotionalclimate.•Settingcanalsoincludetheemotionalstateofacharacter.Character•Thetermcharacterreferstoapersonorananimalinastory,playorotherliterarywork.•ADynamicCharacterchangesasaresultoftheeventsofthestory.•AStaticCharacterchangesverylittleornotatallthroughtheliterarywork.•Acharacter’smotivationisanyforce(i.e.:love,fear,jealousy)thatdrivesthecharactertobehaveinaparticularway.Characterization•Characterizationisthewayawriterrevealsthepersonalityofacharacter.•Characterizationishowtheauthordevelopsandusesthecharacterstotellastory.•Characterizationisoftenthemostimportantaspectofastory.•Theprotagonististhemaincharacterinastory.Thestoryoftenrevolvesaroundthischaracter.•Theantagonististheforcethatorcharacterwhoopposestheprotagonist.•Minorcharactersarepresent,generallynamedandhavearolethatinsomewayhighlightstheprotagonist.Theme•Themeisthegeneralideaorinsightaboutlifethataworkofliteraturereveals.•Themeisamainideaorstrongmessagetiedtolife.•Themethreadsitselfthroughastory,chapterorscenetomakeapointaboutlife,societyorhumannature.•Themeistypicallyimpliedratherthanblatant.Thereaderhastothinkaboutit.•Generally,thereisonemajorthemeinapieceofliterature.Additionalthemescanoftenbefoundinapieceofliterature.Conflict•Conflictisastrugglebetweenopposingcharactersoropposingforces.•Conflictcreatestheplotofastory.Conflictistheproblemorstruggleinastory.Therearefourgeneraltypesofconflictinliterature:ManversusManistheconflictofonepersonagainstanotherperson.ManversusNatureistheconflictapersonencounterswiththeforcesofnature,andshowshowinsignificantonepersoncanbewhencomparedtothecosmicschemeofthings.ManversusSocietyistheconflictofaperson/peopleandtheviewsofsociety.Prejudice/Racismisagoodexample.ManversusSelfisinternalconflict.Itisthoseconflictsanindividualhaswithhisconscience.Plot•Plotisthesequenceofeventsthathappeninastory.Plotprovidesastorywithstructure,likeamapofastory.•Plothasfivebasicpoints.•Expositionisthebeginningofthestory.•Risingactioniswhensomethingstartstohappen.•Climaxisthehighpointoftheaction.•Fallingactionistheactionfollowingtheclimax,acooldown.•Resolutionistheconclusionoftheactionwheneverythingcomestogether.PlotDiagramRisingactionClimaxExpositionFallingactionResolutionLiteraryTechniques•Literarytechniquesareusedtoproduceaspecificeffectonthereader.•Authorsoftenuseavarietyoftechniquesthroughoutapieceofliterature.Alliteration•Alliterationistherepetitionofconsonantsoundsgenerallyatthebeginningofwords,or,withinneighboringwordsinasentence.•Alliterationisusedtocreateamelodyormood,callattentiontospecificwords,pointoutsimilaritiesandcontrasts.•Examples:PeterPiperpickedapeckofpickledpeppers.Wide-eyedandwonderingwhilewewaitforotherstowaken.Onomatopoeia(FigurativeLanguage)•Onomatopoeiaistheuseofwordsthatimitateorsuggesttheirmeaning.•Whenyoureadtheword,itmakesasound•Examples:Buzz!Coarackle!Dialogue•Dialogueisconversationbetweentwoormorecharacters.•Dialogueiswhenacharacterspeakstoanothercharacter.•Dialogueisconversation.•Dialoguecanincludewhenacharacterspeaksoutloudtoananimal,aninanimateobjectorhimorherself.•Dialoguecanbeusedtoexplainsomethingtothereader/audience.Dialect•Dialectisthewayofspeakingthatischaracteristic(specificto)ofacertaingeographicalareaoracertaingroupofpeople.•CommonlybroughttomindtoNewYorkersaretheBostonianDialectandtheSouthernDialect.Foreshadowing•Foreshadowingistheuseofcluesorhintstosuggesteventsthatwill